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Open Letter

From Our CEO, Lisa Max:

I am delighted to share that, following months of activism by our supporters, our landlords have agreed to enter third-party mediation. We are so very grateful to our staff, students, clients, families, elected officials, and our amazing community. This leap forward would not have been possible without so many of you stepping up and speaking out when we asked for your support. This has been a difficult, frightening time for our staff and for the people we serve, but the outpouring from our community has been one of the most inspiring, uplifting moments in The Arc’s long history.
We still have work to do to get to an agreement that ensures The Arc’s future for decades to come, but we have a promising path forward. Through all of this, we never stopped our work toward a just, equitable world for people with disabilities, and we have continued to grow our programs to serve even more people who need our services. We are privileged to do the work we do, to get a chance to make a difference in the lives of the people we serve, to meet the families who come through our doors, and to be a vibrant, indispensable part of the DMV region.
There’s still quite a bit for both parties to do to begin mediation, and we’re hopeful that it will being within the month or two. Once we get started, both parties will be obligated to keep mediation confidential, but we’ll share updates as soon as we can. As always, please reach out to us any time.
With enormous gratitude,

9.

Lisa Max
CEO

P.S. – Please reach out to us if you have questions: Lisa Max, CEO (lmax@thearcofloudoun.org); or Renss Greene, Director of Marketing and Communications (rgreene@thearcofloudoun.org).

Read about our open letter in the news:

Loudoun Times-Mirror:

Lease talks between Arc of Loudoun and Paxton trustees remain at a standstill

» Read more

WJLA:

Local leaders push for lease negotiations to prevent loss of Leesburg non-profit

» Read more

WJLA:

Virginia group helping people with disabilities fears lease feud could force them to move.

» Read more

Loudoun Times-Mirror:

Arc of Loudoun Faces Uncertain Future at Paxton Campus in Leesburg

» Read more

Loudoun Now:

Letter to the Editor: Scott Billigmeier, Purcellville

» Read more

View Town Council Resolutions

“The importance of The Arc’s programs to adults and children with disabilities of all kinds, and for the professionals, caretakers, families and loved ones around them cannot be overstated. I”

~ Jennifer Wexton, Member of Congress

“And for many, there are no alternatives for those services, as evidenced by the waiting lists to join The Arc of Loudoun’s programs.”

~ Katy Neas
CEO, The Arc of the United States

“The Arc of Loudoun …  serves people from across Northern Virginia demonstrating how scarce these facilities and affordable programs are in our region. The need for these services is only growing.”

~ Sen. Russet Perry
31st District, Virginia Senate

“I am confident there is a resolution available that gives The Arc of Loudoun stability, room to grow, and control over its own future.”

~ Mayor of Leesburg Kelly Burk

“My story is much like the stories created by The Arc of Loudoun. It creates opportunities that might not otherwise have existed, and along the way is making a positive change in people’s lives and our shared community.”

~ Del. David A. Reid, 28th District
Virginia House of Delegates

“The long-term stability and growth of The Arc of Loudoun is vital for the Town of Leesburg, the 29th House District, and for people with disabilities across the region. Forcing The Arc to accept the Trustees’ proposal would be devastating for our neighbors who most need our support.”

~ Delegate Fernando ‘Marty’ Martinez
Virginia House of Delegates District 29

“I am writing to express concerns raised about the Trustees’ handling of lease negotiations with The Arc of Loudoun. The Arc of Loudoun’s services are vitally important to people across our region. It serves one of our most vulnerable populations: people with disabilities of all kinds. The Arc of Loudoun is an organization we can be proud to have in our community.”

~ Sen. Suhas Subramanyam
29th District, Virginia Senate

“The Arc of Loudoun is a cornerstone of our community.”

~ Dr. Todd Cimino-Johnson
Leesburg Town Council member

“We cannot let the families that rely on The Arc of Loudoun or the over 100 employees be forgotten.”

~ Zach Cummings
Leesburg Town Council member

“She was trapped for so long and the staff at ABC helped unlock communication for us and now Coco is thriving!”

~ Shelly, parent of an Aurora Behavior Clinic client

“The Arc of Loudoun and ODLC’s focus to improving preschool services
throughout Loudoun County was clear and still is to this day.”

~ Christine, volunteer and former Open Door Learning Center director

“The fate of The Arc of Loudoun, the thousands of people it serves, and all of its employees appear to be in the crosshairs…”

~ Jill, neighbor and former The Arc of Loudoun employee

 

The Ability Fitness Center has been the best thing that has happened to (my husband) in the last 6.5 years.”

~ Sharon L. Wright, spouse of an Ability Fitness Center client

 

“Through sheer determination and with the support of the Arc, Jorge has made incredible progress. Against all odds, he can walk again.”

~ Stephanie, stepchild of an Ability Fitness Center client

“There was an environment in the facility that fostered mutual respect and encouragement among clients as they worked diligently…”

~ Jack, spouse of an Ability Fitness Center client

“For over 20 years, my family has greatly benefited from the Arc of Loudoun’s ALLY Advocacy Center.”

~ Lisa,
ALLY Advocacy Center client

“I was always hopeful that Mrs. Paxton’s wishes of using the property to help Children in Need would prevail over any other agenda that the Trust would have and that a collaborative relationship could be achieved.”

~ John, former The Arc of Loudoun board member

“When you see the Arc, you are seeing the face of a community that wouldn’t know where to go if their operations were hindered. In my family’s case, wouldn’t have anywhere to turn.”

~ Janae, parent of an Open Door Learning Center student

From my amazing experience at The Arc and with having four neurodiverse siblings, all with a variety of different developmental disabilities, I know firsthand how expensive services can be and how important it is to have these services available to the community.”

~ Grace, former The Arc of Loudoun employee, sibling to people with disabilities